Sharp County record., 1887-01-13
THE FREIGHT PROBLEM.

Routes TO tne StdpOfi VI
Source of Cereal Supply.
WASHINGTON. Jan 4.-Senator Aldrlch
made public last night the report Oh tne
Senate committee on Transportation
routes to the seabOard on the suoJecI VI
railroad frelghts in the United States ana
foreign countsies. The report contains
tabulated statements OF the progress III
production and transportation IN the Pr4p'
cipal countries of the world.
Efforts were made by the committee 10
group together the average yearly prlce
of grain at the various grain centers Ill Ihe
United States for series OF years, ana
show the difference in price per bushel at
various points between these geo,
graphical sections, Whlch "ouIo
represent, in a measure,
the freight and the tendency OF the rates
of freight charges. 1t is shown lor eA.
annie that the difference in the prices OF
corn between the Atlantic ports and the
lakes have steadily declined from Il cents
per bushel in 1873 to 10 cents per Dushellh
1888: between Atlantic ports and western
river ports from 10 cents in 1873 to IL cents
II 1888.
An ATTEMPT was made by the committee
10 ascertain the rates of freight from lhe
principal intermediate points to the sea
hoard, and also from intermediate polnJs
to the principal cities Of various States
The investigation was conducted i'll nope
of ascertaining facts in regard 10 tne III
ference between the rates charged lor
long hauls and short hauls and to throw
LIGHT upon the yexed question Of long
and a short haul In relation 10 thls III
quiry the committee says II the returns
from which the above summary IS con-
structed NAV be relied on (and the COM
mittee has been careful to selecC re-
turns that appeared on their face correcp
the rates for local freight are eVldenuy
Levied on a somewhat general prlnclple VI
what the traffic will bear.
Tn Massachusetts, when terminals are
taken INTO consideration, the cost OF trans-
porting a bushel of wheat is more nearly
eouitable than in any other State repre-
sented in the summary. Still, we find the
anomoly of a lesser rate for 3G miles than
for Is miles. In Pennsylvania the local
rates are higher than in Massachusetts,
In Ohio the rate is about the same on oo
az on 90 miles. while the long
haul of 2l5 miles, instead OF beng
relatively less, is relatively greater.
In Massachusetts in 1888 it cost 4.6
cents to transport q bushel OF Wheat 10
miles: the cost in Connecticut for trans
norting the same G2 miles was Z cents; IN
Pennsylvania, 60 miles, 40 cents, ana IN
Ohio, 60 miles. cents. OF course the con-
]itiOns NAV not have been the same.
Farther West we find in Kansas AZ.
cents per bushel for Transporting q
bushel of wheat 46 miles, and in Massa-
chnsetts for same service SO miles, ~
cents, while California pays 5.3 per DuShel
for 50 miles.
Turning from the United States to 1or-
eicn countries the comm ittce show the
nrodrction and consumption of cereals in
Europe, and bring out the fact that the IN
crease in population has been relatlVeIy
much greater in great grain producing
Countries than in the grain buying coun-
tries The United Kingdom appears 10
have nurchased about tWo-thirds OF all
the wheat in the United States exported
Turing this period, and therefore speclaI
attention has been given to England. 5 sup
plv of wheat. For this purpose tapIe was
nrnnared giving a summary OF the Wheat
!. thnopted into THE United Kingdom 'o1
Grea+ Britain and Ireland from various
countries during from 1886 to lo42' lnclu-
sive. and the decades from lS43 10 1857
inclusive, showing the total importatlons
of wheat and the proportions furnished
bv the United States, Russia, Germany
british North America France, Denmark,
and all other countries. In commenting
m this table the committee says: "A
Glance at this summary not only
shows the rapidity Of the agriculture!
Growth of the United States and its i'm
Cor+ance as a food-eXporting country, out
also presents some Of the economic
changes that have occurred in Europe
In the first period the United States sup
nlied less than ] per cent OF WheaJ I'M
nortpd into the United Kingdom, and IN
the last period it supplied nearly 5i per
cent From less than 100000 bushels 1t
increased by o series Of leaps and Dounus
IN ahout 5O3OO).O00 bushels. Excepting
the rand growth of imports Of wheat
from India, which does not appear
in this table, India being classified
under GALL other countries" there is
no instance in the economic history
Of a growth so rapid The imports from
Germany have decreased from the second
noriod. actually as well as relatively,
while. relatively, the percentage OF de-
crease has been steadily sinking from 53
to 33 per cent, next to "a and Is, and last
" to 6 per cent The crystalizaton OF the
German Empire, the rapid increase OF
nonulation. the change from an agricul-
tnral condition to that Of diversified in
dustries all suggest themselves as rea-
sons for the decrease. In Germany
population is oYertaking the 1ood-produc
ing capacity of the country"
One of the most important features Of
the report is the showing in tabular form
If prices of wheat for a series Of years, IN
the principal countries Of the world,
These tables show that "the average year
Iv price of wheat is the lowest in India.
Ranging from s. cents per bushe!, at Cal
cutta, to S1.02 at Bombay between 1878 and
1888. Russia comes next, the average Tor
the decade being S1.2S per bushel at War
saw. s1.17 per bushel at st Peters
burg. and Sl.15 per bushel at Odessa
Austria ranks third. the price
ranging from $118 por bushel at Buda
Pesth to Sl.29 at Vienna, and sl.36 per
bushel at Trieste The average price OF
wheat at Algiers was for the entire period
o. hr1ab bgl